Club Catastrophe
by IrrelevantGirlie
Summary: Haruhi's had enough of everything and leaves the Club! And...Ouran? What happens to the remaining members when she's gone? Where did she even go?
1. Chapter 1

_They are doing it again._ The twins have intertwined their bodies with me after the club, possessively keeping me in their midst, planning my afternoon over my head. I used to be able to shrug it off, but for the last few weeks I've felt irritation build up. It is the same thing over and over again with no reprieve. Any minute now Tamaki will- "You two shady twins better stop harassing my little girl!" I could picture a visible cloud of dust shot into the air behind him as he makes tracks for us like a bullet train, not even slowing down.

"Mori-Sempai!" In a flash, I am whisked away in time to be free of the inevitable collision between the three. "Thank you," I gratefully say to him. Again.

"Welcome." He starts walking me to Honey, just like always as the people behind us are involved in another fight, their voices escalating. _It's a good thing this music room is abandoned and nearly isolated. And generally sound resistant._

 _"_ Please let me down." I break routine, earning half a glance from Kyouya before he refocuses on his laptop. I stand there, wondering if I should really do this today, but decide that it has to stop. I take a deep breath, clench my fists, and raise my voice. "That's enough!" They stop and look at me, eyes getting wider as I approach, backing into the wall. My voice is lower as I continue. "I've had it and can't deal with this anymore."

"I think you're right my daughter; I shall dispose of these twins immediately and take you home with me." He grabs my wrist, but I wrench it from his grasp, earning a lot of shock in his violet-hued eyes.

"I'm tired of you guys pulling me around at your speed. I have my own life and need to get back to it." It is dead silent as the aristocrats weigh my words. Kyouya is, naturally the first to recover.

"But your debt-"

"Shut it Kyouya." He and I lock eyes after I realise I have dropped the honorific. His eyes which had before scared me into submission even with the Shadow King glare turned off had dulled appearance since two years ago. "You and I both know that I finished it last year with Éclair. Ever since then, for an entire year, I haven't been indebted to the club, which means I can leave if I want."

"Mommy," the blonde has moved over to Kyouya, "is our daughter leaving us?"

"Tamaki!" I yell it to get his attention, lacking an honorific again. I lock eyes with him, not needing to take another step to make him move half a step back. "I have said this over and over: I am not your daughter. I never will be your daughter. I already got a dad: I don't need another one."

"But you don't have more of us," the twins point out, taking a simultaneous step away from Tamaki.

"One of you guys is more than enough for me." I stare them down to where they look like they want to squirm before continuing. "Already you distract me from my studying so much that I work twice as hard on the same stuff, studying every second I have off while you two kidnap me left and right to take me God knows where whatever time suits you. I'm sick of it."

"Haru-chan," Honey tugs on my sleeve, having left his cake halfway eaten on the table. "I'm sure we can fix this and make everything better-"

"'Haruhi', please," I ask, getting rid of the closeness. "You know as well as I that no one is going to change. I'm always going to be the money making secret princess toy that's always a damsel in distress to save. If you guys aren't saving me, I'm being used." I shift my focus to the group as a whole. "I'll leave until I can see that you understand and can respect me as you should." I head to the back room, hearing them buzzing behind me. I take a breath as I grab my book bag. I step back into the room after one more calming breath to find them crowded around a whiteboard, the marker in Tamaki's hand. The words "OPERATION TAKE BACK HARUHI'S LOVE!" is written in bolded, bubble letters. I feel a peculiar numbness in my arms as my hold on the bag slacks. "You know what? Regardless of it all, I'm through; it's not worth the patience right now." They are silent as I turn and walk out of the Host Club.

"Haruhi." A strong hand loosely holds onto my forearm out in the hall, spinning me around. Mori is the one came after me, his stoic mask annoyingly still in place.

"Let me go. Now." His fingers quickly release as though I had caught on fire. I don't stay for any little words he may have for me, and take off down the hall. Surprisingly enough, no one else stops me as I reach the apartment building. I rush into the house, slamming the door, surprising my father as I slow my breath.

"Hello, what's got you in a tizzy today my dear?"

I stupidly say the first thing that comes to mind: "I broke up with them today."

"You were dating someone and didn't tell you own father Haruhi?!" His voice has grown in disbelief, but I calm him down.

"No, I wasn't dating anyone, but for all the time they have pushed into my lives, I might as well be. I left them though and don't plan to join their fast paced lives again for their gain."

"Oh, darling." The sentimental endearment makes me lift my eyes to him before he continues. "I had noticed you have seemed exhausted as of late." He's quiet as I get up and make him a mug of tea, finally speaking what's on his mind as I sit with him again. "If this is something you have thought about, then I will respect your thoughts. Besides, you'll be getting away from that perverted halfer," he chuckles. We sit there for a while and sip our tea with the biscuits I get up to retrieve from the cupboard until there is a hurried knock at the door. Dad gets up to answer the door while I focus on the tea.

"Good evening, Ranka. We were wondering if we could talk to Haruhi for a moment. If you don't mind." Glancing upwards, I watch as Kyouya addresses my father. I watch my father shift on his foot, caught in Kyouya's pressing eyes.

"Hey Dad! Who's at the door?" I keep my voice light as I ask, clearly able to tell who's there, though I just keep looking questionably at Dad. I can sense a cloud of hopefulness burst and be replaced with disappointment beyond the door. Backed up by me, Dad relocates his composure with the guys.

"Oh, no one you'd be interested in to see." He calls over his shoulder. "Why don't you go study in your room while I invite them in? It won't be longer than a cup of tea I imagine."

"Do you want me to start the tea then? It won't be long."

"No honey, I'm sure I can manage a few cups of tea on my own: I'm not an invalid."

"Okay." I immediately get up from the table, leaving my own tea on the table, heading down the hallway. I close the door, take a breath, and then react to their presence by quietly tenderising the pillow. _I knew they'd show up here eventually,_ I think after sitting on the floor with my back leaning on the door _, but not_ this _soon. They sure are quick, aren't they?_


	2. Chapter 2

The Host Club politely crowds around the table as Ranka makes the tea. The air is tense as they understood that Ranka seems to be going along with Haruhi as she walked down the hall, ignoring the fact that they were here at all. Tamaki is skidish in the apartment, not having made the best impression on Ranka when they first met. Honey looks down the hall as if Haruhi would be coming back outside to the livingroom again as though it is all a joke, and Mori silently follows suit. The twins sit extra close to one another, as if that by doing so would erase the feelings being harboured by the pair. Kyouya sits closest to where Ranka would when he would get done with the tea, impassive as his black notebook rests on the table before him. He speaks up for the group since he told them to remain silent if they were going to go in with him. "With Haruhi here before us, I assume you know what has happened with her and us. It is imperative that we are able to reconcile with her."

Her father has always had a weak spot for Kyouya since he was the first to call and give weekly reports to the caretaker, and that he was 'a lot better' than Tamaki, but after witnessing the frayed edges of Haruhi's patience charade earlier, the man holds his back firm while sitting in front of all the gorgeous men of the Host Club. "My daughter didn't seem to want that, or _anything else_ to do with the club Kyouya. And if that is what she desires, I don't see how I can stop her; I couldn't stop her from continuing with it in the beginning."

Kyouya pauses a moment before trying to speak his turn. "As her father, you probably have more sway in conversations with her than we ever would. Perhaps if you could talk to her and-"

"Her mind is set Kyouya." The man looks at him with sympathy, making the boy want to gain the upper hand, but Ranka was smarter than to be goaded by the six boys. "No person alive could be able to move her mind but herself, and that could take a while." Taking the liberty to pause before continuing, trying to word it right with the little information he has. "I suggest that you to have patience and wait it out. I don't know much of what she has said because we haven't talked in length before you had knocked on the door, but it really must have been something big or nagging if she had ran all of the way home from the club."

"So you want us to do nothing?" The twins simultaneously ask after the implication, their melodious voices mixing as one. Kyouya is partially grateful that the two said what just went through his mind without him having to filter it, but annoyed they spoke at all.

"I'm saying that if you want to last in a war with my daughter, take her lead." The hosts are reminded of her and Tamaki's fight in Okinawa after she was tossed off the cliff and their standoff afterwards at dinner. After time to meditate on it, and Kyouya's lesson of sorts, she eventually understood why the hosts acted like that towards her. _She hadn't started that one_ , Kyouya thinks, _but she initiated this one, so it could take longer: especially if she weren't talking with them any longer._ He looks at Ranka and considers that he may be right. He's known his daughter this long already, amounting to more than the boys combined; it is logical he would know what to do.

"Then we shall heed your advice while moving forward, Ranka." As soon as he says it, he's glared at by his closest blond friend before one after another settle their gazes on him. "As always Ranka," he continues talking while standing, everyone else following suit as he shakes the older man's hand, "it has been a pleasure talking to you. I'll be seeing you again. We can see ourselves out." They all leave quietly in fear of invoking Kyouya's temper after he told them not to say a word in case they screw up everything.

"Are we really going to leave it at that Kyo-chan?" Honey finally speaks up in the car, ignoring the piece of cake ready for him for once. His voice is soft with a child-like edge. "Are we really going to let her go?"

"I'm afraid, Honey, that is all we can do at the moment." No one says anything, but the twins flinch. "We'll see if this blows over by, say, Tamaki and my graduation ceremony." Mapped in their heads, that's two and a half weeks of school, and that thought turns the mood dreadful, for what will they do without their princess for that long anywhere? Shoulders droop. "If nothing is said from her by then, we will set a course of action, but for now we will have to comply." Kyouya keeps the hosts' attentions while taking out and writing in his black notebook, saying "if you guys want to individually try and get ahold of her, you can...test the waters, if you will. The Club will not move in this matter until after graduation, depending on the outcome of individual information. However," he looks up and catches the twins' and Tamaki's eyes, "if possible, do _not_ make her even more angry and upset than she already is; this job is already complicated. Do I make myself clear?" His tone borders that of his Shadow King persona as he meets everyone's eyes one by one. They all reply with either 'yes, sir' or just 'crystal' as their eyes meet one on one, the twins answering in tandem. "Good. Best corse of action for the individual talks is to not start until at least Monday in hopes to take edge off of her feelings, so please refrain until said time, if you can."

The rest of the car ride to drop people off at home is silent, almost somber. Not only because of the whole war with Haruhi, but Kyouya didn't take out his laptop, and Honey didn't eat a single piece of cake. In Kyouya's mind, he goes over simulation after simulation with different variables. He never thinks that the twins would obey the Monday rule, so he factors it into all of his plans, knowing he'll be able to keep Tamaki away from the girl because they share classes. However, Hikaru and Kaoru are in almost ever class with the brunette, and their impulsiveness will be counted to screw it up.

After the twins get home, Hikaru nearly explodes from the silence they had to endure since leaving the car for Haruhi's apartment. They wanted to run after her at the music room like Mori had, but not let her go like he did, but their feet were cemented in place. Kaoru reigns in his older brother slightly to get them to their room, away from the maids. Hikaru throws pillows and had a wordless temper tantrum before giving up and sitting on the bed with Kaoru, intertwining hands like how they've done consistently over the years. With each a constant presence as their arrogance grew, the petite brunette was the only person they would ever be able to consider a friend. Their hurt hits with the shared images of Haruhi walking outside of music room three today.

Tamaki gets home and asks for the phone. When it it immediately brought, he kneels on the floor, hand poised to call the number he memorised a long time ago. The fire he could almost feel from her brown eyes stop him as they both enticed and repelled. He rests his hand over the phone after hanging up the mouth piece, unable to know how to react, just blending into the wall. Yes, he saw what she had meant by how he was like her father, even just after she said it, but he had originally used it to keep that family together as he played. After a year or so, after Éclair came and went, he started using the term to deny his feelings after thinking in bed one morning at six. It suddenly had clicked that he and his friends were in love with the oblivious brunette, possibly since the beginning, growing until this day. It stung his heart when she walked out, and he wanted nothing more than to get her back in their lives as soon as possible. He was cut by her act of ignorance and her walking off into her room. _Can we not be a family?_ His mind asks as he waits against the wall.

Takashi sits at the table, worrying over his cousin. Mitsukuni has been poking at his afternoon cake, not even bringing any to his mouth. It is a shocking sight whenever the plate is pushed away, cake crumbled but none missing. "I'm going to my room," the blonde says, his voice quiet and with the actual tone of his age. After going to his room, Mitsukuni just sits with Takashi at the door as he looks on the little one in worry. It isn't often that they are similar in silence, but a difference is that the mix of emotion shows on Mitsukuni's face. "Do you think she will come back to us Takashi?" The bigger cousin looks on the little one silently, not knowing what to say. He hopes that Haruhi would come back to them, but at this point it is unsure, so he remains silent as he can do nothing to stop Mitsukuni's sadness.

Kyouya sits at home on his computer trying to get all of his day's work done, but his mind wanders. He knows he has been attracted to the girl for a while, and has done what he can to try to prevent her leaving. He almost considered raising her debt before it was paid off to help her stick around, but he wasn't that kind of person to take advantage of her. Other people, yes, but her? She saw deeper than Tamaki did and left a caring aura in her wake. Knowing his other club members harboured feelings for Haruhi, he kept his own feelings under the wraps and guise of the Shadow King persona. Occasionally he felt like acting on his feelings, especially when he picked up her strawberry scent while he adjusted something in her hair for the club a couple weeks ago, but ever since Okinawa he has had to watch himself. Kyouya has tried to figure out Haruhi in his mind, but as soon as he thinks he has her figured out, something changes, so she is like a living puzzle of mixing intricacies, ever intriguing him.

While it is an amazing feat, the twins leave her be, heeding Kyouya's words in the car that day. They cover up Haruhi's absence from the club with studying, tests, and other commoner-like activities like chores and grocery shopping. No one outside of the club asks anything, so they don't have to worry about conflicting stories. On Monday the boys start trying to worm their way in again from different angles. The twins try in class, Mori and Honey meet her at the lockers before their classes and if they are free in the afternoon, Tamaki tries talking to her other friends to try getting to her through them, and Kyouya tries talking to her in passing. For two weeks they keep it up, but she ignores them entirely. When she notices them there, Haruhi avoids their advances and goes about her day as though none of it happens. She disappears right when school ends, and gets there with just enough time to make it to class. She disappears at lunch and never seems to notice them. They don't drop by the house because of Ranka who starts working nights, so he is around and tired during the day. It is then when she is able to relax, out of the Host Club's eyes for a time.

She attends the school wide graduation ceremony, genuinely feeling happy for the pair, but sends the presents in the mail since picked them out a while ago. She had gotten Kyouya a three-in-one leather black five year planner and a set of silver pens with his named engraved into all of them, appearing silver on the planner, and she got Tamaki a gift basket with 'commoner' treats and a cellphone strap that held a crown engraved with his initials. They were mailed with enough time to arrive the day after their respective parties. Tamaki nearly broke down at his cheery 'Congratulations!' card from Haruhi, even if it were expected from this event. Kyouya didn't open the gift in front of everyone else, choosing to open it later in his room. His hand traces the name on the cover, wondering why it seemed perfect from her.


	3. Chapter 3

I sit at home, wondering if they like the gifts I got them, regretting not going to the parties to see their reactions. _If everything works out in the end, I'll regret missing their celebrations. It took all I_ _could to look the other way from the Host Club as I ignored them the last two weeks_. Banners, a plate of fancy tuna being delivered right before lunch to my desk, notes shoved into my locker, Kyouya actually slowing down to talk in the halls.  
... _This all never happened before, so I suppose they have changed enough to talk again_. I make a decision to start reconciling right away, maybe getting a cake from that nice bakery downtown. I scrawl a note to my dad to where all I'm going and why before leaving the apartment.

Taking the train, I reach the bakery to pick out a cake from the selection they have in stock, with sugar roses and sweet swirls that they said are the customer's favourite. _I hope they like it,_ I think while I walk back to the station.  
It is a little on the larger side, but it works if Honey shows up as well. I smile happily, waiting for the train as I look down at the dainty sugar crystals. The announcement for the train comes across the intercom, warning of the train's approach and how to be safe, everyone should be behind the yellow line. I take a step back to be safe as I hear it approach the station.  
Shifting the cake to settle my shoulder bag, I see my keys on the ground. Balancing the cake carefully to avoid dropping it, I grab them, and am pushed off balance on the way back to standing straight. I'm moved forward against my will as the train quickly rushes into its place, and the lights are out before I even know what happened.


	4. Chapter 4

-~~~*~~~  
1 week later:

Kyouya eats his breakfast in the car as always one morning when he happens to hear a name over the radio. "Suspect Yuharan Manigotchi has been arrested for attempted murder of a young girl by train down two weeks ago downtown at the number eighteen station as a security video shows the whole event take place in black and white." She switches from the facts to commentary. "What do you think Yukari? It seems like he was just asking for it the way he didn't even bother covering his face in action."

"You said it Mei! The suspect Manigotchi was detained, or de-trained, yesterday afternoon after the station finally was able to release the footage to the police, and one of the officers luckily was able to recognise the offender right away..." The pair of radio hosts moved on and Kyouya turns it off. _Manigotchi, huh?_ _That alleviates tension on that side._ He mentally crosses that family issue off the list as the car draws closer to the hospital.

Today is his official first day working in management of his family's hospital as an assistant learning the ropes, even if he surpassed this position long ago. In two months he will be in college and act out his life plan. _Even if part of the plans had to be scrapped because Haruhi split off from the group_. It's after graduation and the group is a shell of its former self, so next week Tamaki will announce the official dissolution of the Host Club before the name and glory of the club deteriorates entirely.

Hikaru and Kaoru seem to have lost their mischievous spirit shortly before graduation and built a wall between them and the world again. Tamaki still smiles and flirts without filters, but has lost a certain shine. Mori...well, he seems the same to everyone except Honey, his face as stoic as ever and just as silent. Honey eats cake, but ten times less and almost half-heartedly. One would think the group could go back to how it was before Haruhi ever stumbled upon our group, but unknowingly she added a certain essential part that now seems to have acted like glue that provided some kind of vitality.

Kyouya sighs when thinking about his now-distant friends, shakes his head, and walks into the building, closing himself off from everything else, planner in his case and pen in the breast pocket of his suit.


	5. Chapter 5

~~~*~~~  
3 years later:

Entering the new hospital, Kyouya takes a deep breath in his own place, completely relaxed and in his element. Although it was now a branch of the Ootori Empire, he and he alone has sole control of this hospital that would have gone under if it weren't for him. Father had tried to buy the building seven years ago, but the owner then had continued to refuse the offer. Now the son of the man he turned down asks, and he accepts right off the bat. Either the man didn't like the father or just needed the money, but that was irrelevant as Kyouya got what his Father was refused. He almost wanted to rejoice in triumph, but contained himself to strolling the hospitals halls at his leisure. While the hospital was smaller than some of the ones his Father had, as managing it could be counted as a vacation of sorts in comparison, it was perfectly located, having more people visit it than one would expect.

Kyouya walked around talking to the nurses about how it was to work in this hospital when they weren't busy with rounds, more than ninety percent reporting it a positive and more pleasant. _I'll have to review on the policies and regulations to figure out exactly how it is working, but I should be able to keep up the same rate._ His mind is busy going over the mental copy of that he had planned to look at after reaching his newest office. He would have to split his time and effort between two other similar hospitals now. The gentleman leans his back onto the wall in the middle of the hallway and takes out his black planner before penning a reminder to check the social events for the hospital and benefits to attend in the near future. _I'm packed this weekend going to a charity event with the whole_ Ootori _Group, but next Wednesday..._ The man's thoughts are dissolved in an instant as some individual catches his eye down the hall at an instant coffee machine.

Replacing the planner to its case and tucking away his favourite pen, he slowly makes his way down the hall, focused on the person. Thirty feet away, he still can't believe it: Ranka is standing, chatting with a guy about something that must have happened on some show they mutually watch. Before the older gentleman notices, Kyouya vacates the area, wondering why the man is here. _It's possible that he got a more stable job since Haruhi is in college. Even a janitorial position would be more stable than working night shifts at the transvestite bar_. Kyouya goes back to his office, nodding at his receptionist while walking in. He boots up his laptop before opening up the employee database, looking up the man. After typing in the name, the computer sits for one minute before reading: _No Listings Available_. Well _this is intriguing,_ Kyouya thinks, leaning back in his desk chair.  
Then he remembers that the janitorial services are provided by a private company, so anyone employed with them would not appear on the database for the hospital. Kyouya sighs, wishing he could look him up like the old days, but he had promised Ranka that he would leave them alone and not sneak into their personal lives anymore. If he weren't an Ootori, that promise wouldn't have lasted, but he himself takes pride in his ability to keep his promises. He closes the database and continues with the review.

 _Maybe I should ask the patients how they like it here_. He calls the receptionist to get him a list of patients that he could personally ask. It's week two of Kyouya's reign at this hospital and all he has done is talk to the staff. Recognising _an error in my ways, I aim to fix it._

"There is a patient who has broken the record of the longest patient consistently in here right now that _would_ be a good candidate to talk to, but-"

"Then that seems like the best person to ask now, isn't it? What room number?"

"With all due respect, sir, that patient wouldn't be able to help you in your evaluation."

"And why is that?"

"The patient is, uh, comatose, sir: unable to respond."

"Oh." _Wasn't expecting that._ "I suppose not then. How long has the patient been in that state?" I ask out of curiosity.

The receptionist looks at the papers, finding the length. "Roughly three years, Ootori-sama."

"Three years is the longest we have held a patient? That is excellent to hear, but not for that patient who breaks that record. I was expecting longer."

"Normally patients who stay for an undetermined extended amount of time transfer to another hospital, mainly another Ootori Group run one. This one has stayed here past that though, unwilling to relocate due to the patient's condition."

"Oh? Why ever not?"

"The most I can relay is that when they considered moving in the past, something went wrong with the portable ventilator and the patient was nearly lost. Since that instance, the person with power of attorney refuses talk about moving the patient ever again, even to another room."

"Should I go, introduce myself, and say that I have no intention of moving the patient?"

"No. It would probably bring back memories of that experience. That, and if for some reason you had to later, you would seem like you'd be going back on your words."

"Good point. Which one after that?" Kyouya then spends his next few weeks talking to the patients in his spare time. A few weren't fond of hospitals to begin with, and for some had such bad experiences with other healthcare facilities that they refused an interview with him. He still eventually caught more than half of the people saying they had an overall positive experience at the hospital. A few made jokes about the food before stating that it was surprisingly good for a hospital cafeteria, which is good since Kyouya chipped in some of his own money to make it better on the gamble that if word got around it wasn't bad, then it would pay him back in the long run. It has been six weeks since Kyouya took over the hospital and made it his own, and so far the whole place has gotten used to an administrator walking its hallways on a near daily basis.

"Ootori-sama, you've got a guest back in your office."

"Understood, Charlene." One thing he had to change since coming to this hospital is how the receptionist got ahold of him since he walks around when he gets the chance. Now Kyouya has an earpiece in his left ear hooked up to a communication device that connects not only to the receptionist, but all of the head desks of the hospital. After returning to his office, he finds a petite boy with brown hair holding a notebook in his lap with both hands. "And you are?"

"The name is Davis. John Davis of the local paper." That accent sounds American, and that surname says that family history isn't Japanese. "I would like to do an interview with you about your work, and, if possible, take some pictures of you doing your job." He speaks Japanese well enough, but mixes a few things here and there.

"Are from Japan, Davis-kun?" That sounds awkward.

"No sir, I come from America, but my" he pauses with a pair of furrowed brows, "adoptive parents moved us here so they could be closer to their home."

"Would it be easier to talk like this?" Kyouya says smoothly in perfect English.

"Uh, yes sir, it would. It doesn't trouble you?"

"Not in the slightest, so if it is easier for you, then I will continue. I'll see if I can set up something in my schedule." Instead of calling Charlene, he takes out his planner and looks for an empty spot, and notice that the biannual Host Club Reunion is this afternoon. _If I cancelled that again, Tamaki would be sure to show up at my doorstep again_. Though it has been different since Haruhi left the group, the blond insists on getting us together. "How about tomorrow afternoon around two?"

"That works for me. I'll meet you here in your office then." He gets up, penning it into his notebook before shaking Kyouya's hand and walking out the door. The reunion went as planned. At some parts it was evident that attenders wanted to leave, got bored, or thought the whole event was pointless. No one pointed out to the king that this event was likely to revisit old wounds from when Haruhi was active in their lives. It was three hours of hurt as they sat around, forced to think of the dissolved club and why it was even dissolved in the first place, but no one wanted to mess with their king and his messed up coping process going on past three years. _At least there's no balloons this time_ , Kyouya thinks to himself, comparing this one to the last one he attended. There was a difference between this kind of a reunion, or maybe it was a memorial, and an _actual_ celebration, something he made Tamaki realise clearly after that certain reunion. They all scatter after the reunion, not wanting to stick around each other anymore having understood that Haruhi had turned into a buffer against the personalities after a time, keeping them friends.

Kyouya eventually trudges back to the hospital, his apartment more of a pit stop than his actual home these days. He spies Ranka once again, suddenly realising he never got an answer as to why he was there in the first place. Without thinking of the fallout, Kyouya follows the man he once knew and talked to well without greeting the man. _He could tell you about Haruhi and how her life is today without you breaking your promise and digging behind their backs_ , the boy's mind whispers to him. Seeing how the stalker act could possibly backfire in a flash, he walks calmly with bigger strides to catch up to the man, reaching him as he turns into a room. "Fujioka-sama!" He taps the man's shoulder to get his attention, using the old honorific since it has been at least three years since they have seen, much less spoken, to one another. "It had been a whi-"

"Oh, it's Kyouya Ootori," the man says, sounding more tired than Kyouya ever had remembered. "It had certainly been a long time, but you look just the same as you did then, if not more handsome. Please, you can still call me Ranka: that hasn't changed."

"So what has?" He tries asking smoothly, but then decides to stick himself back to where he grew from. "What have you and Haruhi been up to these days? Is she any closer to achieving her dream?" At the mention of her name, Kyouya notices that Ranka pales considerably.

"What are you doing here Kyouya?" he asks guardedly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry or anything," he says, taking a step back from Ranka. "I only asked because you happened to be here at the hospital I just recently bought out."

"You don't know about her though?" He sounds like he didn't believe me when I promised not to put my nose where it didn't belong once again.

"No, hence why I'm asking. I stand by my vows, Ranka. I didn't think asking you for information after all this time would be considered a breech, but I suppose I could be wrong." Kyouya turns from the male to walk out, but is caught, Ranka's fingers weakly wrapped around his wrist.

"That's not what I meant Kyouya; I know you are good on you words, but..." His voice trails as he looks uncertain. After sighing, Ranka closes the door to the hallway and pulls the administrator along with him, making him follow. Kyouya is pulled and set at one part by a curtain. He opens his mouth, surly about to ask what it was all about when Ranka takes the curtain around a bed and pushes it away, opening up the bed to the room.

The wind is knocked out of him at one glance and ends up on his knees, holding onto the bed rail. A little smaller, a little thinner, hair an inch or two longer, colour washed out, ventilator hooked up, but still all the same. "Haruhi..."


	6. Chapter 6

Kyouya does all he can to compose himself seconds after finally saying the name aloud after so long. He doesn't take his eyes off of her, drinking on the sight, but addresses her father. "How?"

"There was an accident. Of sorts. The guy is in jail now, but she is still here."

"Who?" Kyouya's hands reflexively tighten I'm the blankets in anger. Jail time would suggest that this was not an accident.

"I forget the name since he was locked up quickly afterward."

"What?" _What is with the one word questions?_ His mind asks, but it doesn't penetrate.

"Coma? I think that's what your asking anyway."

Kyouya is silent for maybe a minute and a half, his mind whirring. "When?"

"Three years or so ago, possibly longer by this date." So she was the one who broke the hospital record? It clicks into his mind from the day with the receptionist.

"Where?"

"It happened at a train station, maybe eight? Or was it eighteen? Pardon my memory, Kyouya; it has been three years." _Train station, three years ago, guy in jail..._ it's ringing a big bell in his head, but he can't think straight at the moment.

"Why?" Kyouya didn't mean to ask it out loud, in fact he didn't even realise he did before Ranka shifted his weight awkwardly.

"The man never really gave a reason after he was incarcerated. I met him once, but I never recognized him. For the longest time. I was so angry at that man because without a reason it seemed random." Ranka grabs the chair and pulls it over to the distressed man, offering it to him, but Kyouya stays on his knees, hands torn between touching the woman to make sure she is really there and keeping his hands off in order to not break her. Ranka sighs as though he was really tired. "And then I was mad with the Host Club." _What?_ "I got a phone call saying she was in the hospital in critical condition at work. I hurried to the hospital to find her worse than what she is. Of course. one would after tangling with a train. If it were going it's normal speed, there would have been no hope. After staying here until I was sent home to rest by the nurses forcibly; I was actually driven home, not trusted to get back home on my own defenses. When I got home I was a wreck, but I found her note on the table reading 'Dad, I'm going to the bakery downtown to pick up a cake. I suppose the boys have been good, so I'll call them after getting it and we will probably eat it a Kyouya's house. I'll see you when I get home. Love you, Haruhi.'" He recites from memory. "She was pushed with the cake and it was everywhere, but if she had that cake with her, then one would think that her next move would have been to ring you guys. Probably you first since she said that. But knowing that she was there for the Host Club's sake? I got angry."

"She was coming to us?" Three years ago..."Was the man named Yuharan Manigotchi?"

"That sounds like it would be it. Still serving time if I'm correct."

"And will be for the next twenty-two years. I heard about his arrest three years ago, but never made the connection to her."

"And there was no reason for you to."

We sit silent for a while as my mind tries to contain all of this. _She was here, not able to go anywhere this whole time as we all have drifted apart thinking she had just ignored us and switched schools after that year to get away from us._ "So what exactly is her condition?"

"Well, she's been here for three years. Her brain scans have shown that it is active once in a while. The ventilator is a precaution at this point. There was a time where she couldn't breathe on her own, but that did get better, and she hasn't been conscious that anyone has known of, so we don't have a clear thought of if anything going on in her mind."

"Do think something is wrong with it?"

"I'm her father, so of course I don't think anything is wrong with it. Three years, an active brain, I want to deny the chance, but as the doctors have told me again and again, any injury to the brain can be...tricky."

"Why didn't you tell any of us?"

"Well, she never did reconcile with you guys, and after the anger subsided I had thought it had been too long to do anything like that."

Kyouya feels the tiredness from Ranka's voice infect his bones. "Her hair isn't much longer though." She looks paler though, along as fragile and weak.

"I've had it cut, keeping it about the same as it was." The two men sit in the room, captivated by the girl in the bed who should have been done with at least two years of college already. "So are you going to tell the others about her?"

Kyouya's silent, thinking it over. "Eventually, maybe. I saw them this afternoon, but the group has really fallen apart after Haruhi didn't come back to the school. I probably won't have any contact with them until about six months from now in about March for another one of Tamaki's damn reunions." Even though he could hear the heart monitor, Kyouya finally picks up her hand and touches her pulse, feeling it slow and cold: no trace of emotional distress that quickens the heart. He remembers when he grabbed Haruhi's wrist in Okinawa, dragging her over onto the bed, her heartbeat thrumming under his fingers but her face not afraid underneath him. The dead weight of her arm is different than when she fell asleep at his house when they tutored the twins for midterms that last year and he had to shift her on the couch she was working at. He feels something weigh on his shoulders.

"I'm going to head to the cafeteria for a while. I'll get you something as well." The boy doesn't say anything, waiting until Ranka leaves before his shoulders loosen and he rests his head on the side of Haruhi's bed. He doesn't cry because his pride won't let anyone see even any after effects of it, but he takes deep, slow breaths until he can be truly alone. Kyouya grips her hand like a lifeline and goes over the last three years in his mind. While he had been out living his workaholic life, Haruhi has been like this, her and Ranka's life on hold. For once he could really tell what others had meant about the 'quality of life' and how he was missing something important, but after seeing her here... _I've got to do something else. If she wakes up..._ The 'if' strikes Kyouya's heart, seemingly breaking something in him. _Please. Please let that_ if _be a_ when.


	7. Chapter 7

~~~*~~~  
6 months later:

Over the last six months, Kyouya and Ranka have talked every day in person, spending at least an hour everyday sitting with her. Ranka leaves them alone and he just holds her hand, wishing her up and awake. Occasionally he tells her about things going on in the world outside of the walls of the hospital, whenever he pays attention to the outside world. The ventilator was cleared to be removed without fear last week, but her breaths are still just as even.

"Kyouya-kun, wake up." Ranka shakes the shoulder of the young man with his head asleep on the side of the bed, but he doesn't even flinch. He was reminded of how he was shortly after what happened, how he fell asleep constantly by her side. Ranka could read before that Kyouya had feelings for his little girl, but over the last couple months they have matured with the thought that he could have lost her that instant three and a half years ago and not even know it. Ranka could tell that Kyouya not only loved Haruhi, but he learned something from this as well. Although Ranka could tell the young administrator was tired, but that he was also making an effort to talk to the nurses and eventually knew them by name, becoming more social in a way. Ranka leaves Kyouya in the room to rest after spying a shadow under his eyes as he holds Haruhi's hand

"The reunion is scheduled for a couple days from now and I've put my weight behind Tamaki for the first time for these events." Kyouya and Ranka are talking while sipping coffee in Haruhi's room with the sunset coming in from the window, making the room glow. "I am sure they will all come. I've told them I have important news. Do you want to come along to explain?"

"No, I think that if I am there they will be uneasy and feel like leaving before listening. You had said that the reunions in the past only brought up bad memories both if she was mentioned, and if her name was avoided." Ranka shakes his head, taking another drink of his coffee. "I would be, what would you call it? An elephant in the room?" Both of them chuckle at the expression.

"Alright, I'll go and try to break it as evenly as I can on my own. It will be a big shock as it was for me." He takes off his glasses and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Who am I kidding? It still is a shock, but it is more pleasant than it could have been, but I will answer as much as I can before telling them exactly where she is. That will at least save some of your breath."

"I thank you for that Kyouya; I'm not getting much younger, so I'll save my breath when I can."

"You are still young enough Ranka."

"After these three and a half years with an untold future of my daughter looming ahead, it certainly feels like I should be as old as a mountain by now."

They sit there for a while with the steady beeping in the background before Kyouya sighs. "I don't condone drinking with something heavy on your mind, but I sure could use something stiffer than this cup of coffee. Want to go with me? Going into bars alone would be asking for trouble."

Ranka almost refuses because of legality but remembers that Kyouya is, indeed, of age to go. "I know the perfect bar." Half an hour later, they arrive at Ranka's work and sit at the bar. They both get a pint of the house beer, Kyouya ordering another since he drank his quicker. After rolling his sleeves to his elbows, loosening his tie, and unbuttoning a couple shirt buttons, he relaxes on the stool. "You still look uptight."

"Pardon me?"

"It's a casual uptight though. Here, I'll fix it." Ranka shakes his hand through Kyouya's hair while he sits in shock. He then grabs the sides of the boy's shirt before Kyouya stops him.

"What are you doing?"

"Untucking your shirt. If you look around, most of the patrons here are 'untucked', so to speak, and since this is my work, go with what I say." Kyouya untucks his own shirt. "No one talks to a tightwad."

"I didn't think I was here to talk to anyone else but you."

"You have to talk to other people your age. They don't have to be at your level, but if you keep talking over your head, you'll end up being pulled along."

"I'm fine how I am Ranka, but I appreciate your advice."

Ranka pushes it. "You know, if you don't talk to people your own age and stature, then however are you going to get yourself a girlfriend?"

Kyouya sets his glasses down next to his beer and pinches himself between the eyes. "I've never really been a guy who would go out and get a girl. Father has set up marriage meetings, but I never really got into it, finding minute flaws in all of them that blew up in my head." _None of them could be next to Haruhi and stand their ground._ Kyouya takes a bigger gulp of the beer before resting his forearms on the edge of the bar, long taught not to put his elbows on a table. His shoulders slump a bit before looking at Ranka. "This is your workplace, so what do you recommend for me by way of courage?"

"What can you spend?" _Are those glasses for_ show _? It looks like he has no problem focusing,_ Ranka wonders while looking into the darks of Kyouya's _If he didn't wear those glasses, he would appear more handsome and would have been snatched up a while ago._

"Ranka, I have enough money to frivolously buy this bar in a spare bank account."

"That's got to be a lot considering the owner cares more for this old place than he does the kids who quit speaking to him. But don't worry, with that amount I can make you mind ever so clear..."

Kyouya groggily opens his eyes, head pounding as he groans. "Wow, even when drunk and hungover you still seem put together." Ranka is sitting at the little table at Kyouya's place, surprised at how small it was for a person of his wealth. "You slept like the dead you know. Drunk on top of it, it has been two days of you passed out on the couch, not even lifting a finger." Kyouya tries sitting up, propping himself up part of the way. "I worried about alcohol poisoning, but other than sleeping, you were fine: didn't even puke."

"Oh god. My head feels like it has hit by a train." The words sit there for a moment before Kyouya pales and collapses back onto the couch. "That was terrible," he groans.

"It's only terrible if you let it Kyouya-kun," Ranka chuckles. "Three years ago I would have been hurt by the offhand comment, but without a bit of levity, where's life?"

It's quite a time before Kyouya speaks again. "Damn it. What the hell did you have me drink last night? Or whenever it was."

"Everclear. 100% alcohol."

Kyouya shuts his eyes, trying to remember. Probably the stuff that looked like water. "That stuff was liquid fire."

"You looked tough enough. You didn't tie your tie around your head like a couple other drunk men did. That was one heck of a party."

"I don't remember it."

"Yeah, it lasted until past closing time."

"How did you get me to drink this much? Aren't you supposed to be more responsible?"

"First off, I was curious. Second, you pretty much have money to burn. And third: you would pretty much do anything on a dare." Looking at the older man, the younger of the two inwardly cringes at Ranka's smile. "If someone says they doubt you, you push to prove them wrong."

"I think I can see how the night went now," Kyouya says, exhausted even from being up for half an hour. He slowly drinks water Ranka carries over to the couch, unabashed by having not more than enough dishes for two in the house, and even less food. Both can tell the headache will linger a while since it was a lot of alcohol.

"By the way, they can sort of pick another pattern starting to form in the brain scans between active and not. The doctors are starting to think that some sort of sleep-awake schedule is appearing. Or has been over the last few months."

"This is good, right?"

"In most ways. It did this for a week after a year, copying the day schedule, so they wanted me there talking to her when the awake cycle was present, as if she could hear me."

"So it could be false hope?"

"A few months is more than a week, but I'm not raising my hopes too much. I don't want to crash like last time. If she wakes up, she'll wake up, but if she needs this to get better, then I'll let her have it." Ranka lowers his voice to the point that Kyouya isn't sure if he is meant to hear the man mutter, "so long as she wakes up." All of a sudden Kyouya remembers talking to Haruhi about her mother slipping into a coma-like state at the end of her life with cancer and feels his heart ache for Ranka. _His wife, now his daughter...Haruhi, you had better get better. Your father is a joyful person, bubbling with personality even after his wife passing because he had you, so without you...just get better._ "Well, you may feel like a train wreck, but I'm assuming you haven't gone over how to break the news to the other boys yet. Though I won't be there for the reveal, do you need my help in any way?"

"If I am beat unconscious before they get all the information, please put me in the same room as her at least." Kyouya gingerly rests his arm over his eyes to block out the light. "If no one else from my family shows up, then at least I can force you to be there."

"They wouldn't bea-" he tried denying before Tamaki's personality jumps into his mind. The image of the blond halfer shaking him to unconsciousness is too realistic to deny anything. "Will do, but if you aren't in the same room, I wouldn't be forced; talking again after all these years, I had missed the way you tend to hover over things." Kyouya doesn't even bother dismissing that point. "I'm being serious though Kyouya: whatever you think would help, I'll do what I can."

"Just don't be afraid to shove them aside. Though they have all seemed to have changed over the last three years without her, they might have a tendency to snap back to their previous selves."

"Like you did?"

"That's hardly fair. I didn't even think I changed at all."

"I have noticed that you have matured well in three years. You still are just as respectful, even when you look at her. I have noticed that you can hold your liquor better than you had on your eighteenth birthday party."

Kyouya sighs from the couch, moving as little as possible. "I had forgotten you were there as well. Ever since that escapade I have been trying to get my body more tolerant of alcohol in case I ever get that drunk again. Apparently that many hangovers and drunken nights have paid off if all I did was sleep. Two days though, that seems interesting, but I don't think I missed the reunion, right?"

"According to your wall calendar, and your desk calendar, and your phone reminder, it is this afternoon, so no, you haven't missed it."

"Damn. I'm going to need some strong coffee before facing that crowd. Even then I still may be extremely grouchy." Kyouya sits up, letting the room settle before heading to his room and changing clothes. After coming out and grabbing a coat, he faces Ranka, who has been just sitting there. "Come on, I'll treat you to coffee or something since there's nothing in the house to make any." After getting the strongest coffee money could buy for himself and something incomprehensible to himself for Ranka, Kyouya has just enough time to drop Ranka at the hospital before heading to the restaurant to meet the others. He has reserved their closed off room for the rest of the day at double the asking price so not to put them off not serving others there, anticipating that if he didn't, they would disturb the other customers. Kyouya seats himself in the chair furthest in being the first here and fifteen minutes early.

Tamaki arrives on time, not a minute away either way. He tries to make conversation with Kyouya in an effort to reach the reason he has called the meeting one 'not to skip even if it costs their lives'. Only a tad dramatic, but that kept the words from being overlooked as Honey and Mori show up together eight minutes later. "Good afternoon you two!" Tamaki pipes up after two minutes of blissful silence. "Kyouya isn't talking yet apparently, so I'm glad you guys are here."

"What's up with Kyo-chan? Why the veiled threat to attend?" _'Veiled' is a nice touch, but it's_ really en _empty threat. But they don't know it._ Kyouya keeps a silent vigil over his coffee.

"He never even told me what is going on in his mind either." They sit and go through catch-up chitchat for, as Kyouya counts, seven minutes more before the twins walk into the room. "You made it!" Tamaki nearly shouts in joy, making Kyouya's mind cringe at the sudden blast of noise. While Tamaki forces hugs on both Kaoru and Hikaru, Kyouya slips two Tylenol from his coat pocket Ranka put in his pocket and swallows them with coffee. Things settle down to where everyone is sitting at the table, looking at the raven-haired be-speckled man they haven't contacted for six months with expectant faces. "Well Kyouya, what's going on? You're in charge of this meeting, so take lead."

Signalling out the window, the waitress comes in and takes drink orders. After waiting until the drinks arrive and all is settled so there will be no interruptions, even telling the waitress quietly to hold off coming back for a while, Kyouya finally sits upright in his seat. "I want no one interrupting while I speak. I want your full attention. No one leaves the room until I have said what I needed to say. Got it?" Heads slowly nod one after another as they settle more comfortably in the chairs. "It's about Haruhi." Tamaki's smile turns fake, Honey's eyes widen as Mori stiffens, and a mixture of hurt and agitation glow in the twins' fierce feline eyes, guarded against all. The twins take a moment before abruptly standing to go to the door. "Sit."

"Why should we?" They retort in tandem.

"She isn't involved with us anymore," starts Hikaru.

"So we are leaving." Kaoru finishes for his brother.

"Good riddance." They say as they turn and put hands on the door.

"Guys-" Tamaki starts, sounding pained.

"You two will sit down, and you will hear me out. Do what you want with what I say, but sit down damn it." Kyouya watches them still as though they are hardening concrete statues. _The Shadow King's aura has come out to play._ Friends or not, those two are stepping on his temper, already short from the bouncing headache the Tylenol was put to fighting. The twins sit down back into the chairs and he continues. "We all remember when she left, and we all remember how she ignored our advances even after graduation. I stand here today to say that she was ready to let us back into her life, even conditionally."

Mori uses a pause while Kyouya drinks the rest of his coffee to echo, "'Was'?"

"So she has given up on us again, has she?" Hikaru chides in, given the chance.

"Figures she would have," Kaoru adds. They upturn their noses in unison.

Kyouya just sits quietly, not saying anything as they buzz with the twins. _I thought I had asked for no interruptions. One break for coffee and they spin off. Should have known._ Tamaki looks at the new temporary leader before his eyes grow wide in alarm. Wanting to quell the blond's thoughts beforehand, Kyouya opens his mouth, but is still beat. "Oh my god Kyouya, has something bad happened to her?"

That shuts everyone up in an instant. While they might not like her much by her actions, they certainly don't like that train of thought. "In a way, you are correct Tamaki," he starts slow, but hurries as his frienda are about to explode, "but hold on!" Kyouya's hand stops remarks. "Let me start from the beginning of it all as I had planned." The tension is still high, but no one speaks except for Kyouya "After the reunion six months ago, I ran into Haruhi's father at a hospital I owned and asked about her since we all promised not to snoop behind their backs. The worst I figured would happen was that he would decline, but then I found out about her." They all listen, though the twins are shifted away, he knows they are listening. "As her father can figure out, she was on the way to my place from getting a cake at some downtown bakery she had heard of to call us all together for reconciliation when there was an...accident." Kyouya removes his glasses to rub away imaginary dirt to avoid their eyes, feeling the pressure skyrocket around him. "Well, not really an accident actually. She was pushed on purpose into the train tracks with her cake as the train was going by." Gasps resonate around the table as they are all shocked by the words.

"Who would do such a thing Kyo-chan?" Honey finally asks.

"We don't know the reason, but the guy who did it is in jail and will be there for at least twenty-two more years or so. But do you guys realise it? She was ready to talk to us again, to be involved again. If she weren't pushed, then we all might have shared cake and moved on from that."

"She was coming back?" The twins ask incredulously.

"Yes, and her father still has the note she left on the table before leaving that day. I ask that you hold no ill will towards her now. Can you tell me that you honestly don't?" For some it is quicker than others, but they all eventually admit they don't anymore.

"But Kyo-chan, you said they you ran into him after the last reunion. That was six months ago now. Why haven't you said anything until now?"

"This isn't something you can really say over the phone or an e-mail Honey. And you all deserved to hear it at once." He picks up his coffee cup, sees that is empty, and sets it down again. "Now, let's go see Ranka."

"You're on speaking terms with him again?" Tamaki asks, clearly surprised. We all exit the closed room, leaving a bit tip on the table for the trouble. "I tried to call their house shortly after graduation, but as soon as he knew it was me, he yelled at me to never call again and slammed the phone, then unplugged the phone or something because I couldn't connect again."

We get into my car, and they are visibly surprised that I'm the one driving the black suburban. "Yeah, at that time he was angry with us because he put some of the blame on us because she wouldn't have left to get a cake if it weren't for her wanting to talk to us again. He's over that now." We drive to the hospital, me parking in my spot.

"Hey Kyo-chan, why are we at your hospital? Is Haruhi's father sick or something?" Honey's voice speaks up from the backseat.

"What? No. He and I just went drinking the other night and I woke up this morning-"

"So you've been hungover this whole time?" The twins ask together with a smile.

"Yes. Anyway, this is where Ranka is: with Haruhi."

"What?" Tamaki asks for all of them.

"What do you mean, 'what'?"

"Haruhi's grave is here at a hospital cemetery? Isn't that a little odd?"

"Who the hell said she was dead?"

"She's not?" They all happen to ask in unison, the volume of combined voices making his head wince.

"No, she's not. In fact, she's doing better than she was six months ago when I first saw her. She's in a coma, and has been since the train incident."

"Well then what are we waiting for? Let's get to her!" Tamaki shouts as he reaches for the handle. Kyouya grabs the blond's shirt collar and yanks him back.

"One: don't shout. Two: best behaviour; this is not only a hospital, but it is a hospital I work at and I know the people here. Three: this is _my_ hospital, so what I say goes. It also means I can kick you out and declare you banned from the premises. Four: do not cause Ranka trouble in any way or overwhelm the staff. Handle these," Kyouya hits the child-lock system, "and I'll let you guys go." His dark aura has been building while speaking, and by the end it is nearly visible. They all silently nod, following the direction of the grouchy Shadow King as they are released. They stay behind him nearly in the line as try snake into the hospital, the only deviation bring the twins as they marched side by side. All of the nurses desks that they go by greet Kyouya warmly as he walks by, him responding in kind by name. Soon enough they reach Haruhi's room, Ranka already in his chair, expecting them. Though they are expecting to see her there, the image of Haruhi stops them suddenly, so Kyouya has to keep the line moving until they are all into the room.

"I understand why this wasn't said over the phone now." Tamaki finally sighs, the first one to take another step closer to the bed.

"Can we touch her?" The twins inquire towards Ranka together.

"Why would you need to?" _She'll get tackled by the lot of them if I say yes, wouldn't she?_ Ranka imagines them throwing themselves at her.

"Because Tamaki-sempai," Hikaru starts.

"Has played hoaxes on us before." Kaoru finishes as they both throw half a glare to the blond who sunk to the ground at the accusations

"Not about Haru-chan though," Honey assures Ranka, Mori nodding along.

"We just want to know if this is real." The twins harmonize, stepping up to either side of the girl's head.

"Well, go ahead if it helps you, but I would have nothing to do with a prank this elaborate. You guys should know Kyouya wouldn't do that either." After that, each of the twins grace the sides of her face, their suspicions blown away in an instant. In sync, they brush a thumb over her cheek and tuck her hair behind her ears.

Looking at Tamaki with sneaky smiles, the twins ask "a kiss for Sleeping Beauty?" Before everyone can react to them, they perfectly lay a kiss on her lips as one.

Mori automatically moves to restrain Tamaki, adding a hand to cover his mouth while Kyouya walks up and give them a good slap upside the heads. While they rub the back of their heads, Kyouya apologizes to Ranka for the twins' actions, but the man thanks him for his own. "Tamaki, idle down. Remember the rules I put forth in the vehicle?" The halfer freezes and controls himself. The two blondes move up and get to hold her hands while Mori stands by Honey and just ruffles her hair. "Are you guys satisfied that it isn't a hoax now? Because if you are, let's get something to eat. Normal visiting hours are almost over anyways." They all leave and catch up and talk over a meal, and as they eat, it is firmly planted into Kyouya's head that Haruhi was the glue between them after all.


	8. Chapter 8

Not everyone is able to visit every day, but Ranka and Kyouya keep up their routine they had before the rest of the Host Club came back. Kyouya spent what he could in her room with the shades open on the thought that they both could use some sun. Eventually Ranka brought a couple of books from Haruhi's bookshelf from home that she had picked up at some thrift shop and he would ask Kyouya to read them out loud, and he couldn't say no to the man. So for about an hour each day, more if the chapter was interesting or particularly long, Kyouya read aloud in the room. This routine went on for four months and Kyouya actually got interested in the stories. A few times a week one of the others would be there for the reading, but it didn't matter to him.

Her scans improved to the point where even Ranka showed some hope, showing definite patterns that imitated a sleep cycle and an active period. Ranka believed it was Kyouya's doing, a converted believer in talk therapy. "She has significantly improved since you started talking to her eleven months ago. I had run out of things to say, so I would often stay silent day after day. You haven't run out of things to say to her Kyouya."

"Coincidence," he relies, ignoring the last sentence, "that's all there is to it Ranka."

"But the studies-"

"Do you not have a hair appointment to get to, or was I mistaken?" After checking his watch, the older man splits, leaving them alone. Kyouya waits a few moments before sliding his hand into hers while sitting alongside the bed. "You really need to get up soon Haruhi; your father is worried sick and is going to drive me crazy. I guess it is warranted after almost four years and a sudden improvement, but as he's said: take however long you need to recover. Just get back to us Haruhi." Looking up at the door to make sure no one was standing there, Kyouya leans forward and softly kisses her cheek. "I hope to see you awake soon." After that Kyouya resumes reading some story, forgetting about his hand in hers.

Six weeks later, roughly two weeks after her four year anniversary, another good thing has happened, almost a miracle. While reading some mystery novel aloud, Ranka sits at the little table playing solitaire. Sometimes Ranka would pay attention to Kyouya reading, but on occasion mysteries got too graphic for his taste. What grabbed Ranka's attention was not that Kyouya had paused, because that would happen too, but this time it seemed like Kyouya was cut off during the middle of a sentence, even in the middle of a word during a particularly gruesome description of a murder scene. Ranka looks over to Kyouya who's eyes are focused not on the book, but on his hand, which had found its way to hers. "Ranka."

"Yes Kyouya-kun?"

"Either I just hallucinated or..."

"'Or'?"

"Or she moved her fingers."

Ranka quickly gets up and walks to where Kyouya is. "Was it a muscle spasm?"

"Located in only her fingers after all this time? The likelihood of that happening would be slim to none." They sit for a few moments silently, looking for some sign. With a steady heart, it all stays the same. Kyouya picks up where he left off in the novel while Ranka stands close by, eyes trained on Haruhi's hand. A full fifteen minutes later, the little fingers slowly but definitely close around Kyouya's hand, but this time Kyouya just keeps on reading as Haruhi's father runs out of the room to tell somebody.

It takes weeks for Haruhi to open her eyes and actually speak and be conscious. Hand movements, twitching toes, minute expressions on her face, changes in heartbeat and breath, and on week four a small groan. After that news, everyone visits every day, anxious for the wake of their once-secret princess. "I know you can do it Haruhi; you've never gone down easy before." Kyouya says while Ranka gets coffee. Lately it has been hard to get Ranka out of the hospital at all, and Kyouya didn't blame him for staying. Often there were nights where he himself stayed and he has dreamed of him being there when she woke up, but unfortunately it happened to be a day where Kyouya was busy working at one of his other hospitals when he got a call from Ranka on his cell.

"She's awake, but you had better get down here."

"I'll be there in a few hours; I have a few things I was neglecting to do here before I can leave." When Kyouya is finally able to get back to the room, Ranka is waiting for him outside of the door. Glancing through the window, Kyouya can see Haruhi on her side with her eyes shut. He moves to go inside, but Ranka blocks part of his path. "What's going on?

"She didn't recognise Tamaki, saying she doesn't remember any Tamaki Suoh."

Kyouya makes sure his mouth isn't agape. "What does she remember?" According to what Ranka was able to 'covertly' ask Haruhi, she clearly remembers everything to some point her freshman year at Ouran, but after that it is vague.

"She sort of remembers the Host Club, but no names have registered in her mind, but the rest of the club will visit, in turns, eventually. Doctors have run tests, but they don't anticipate anything to be wrong on them. They should come back on their own with rest; it _has_ been over four years."

"I'll do my best not to push her." Kyouya is then let into the room where he is at a loss of what to do. Ranka comes inside and resumes his solitaire, so he picks up the book on the nightstand, sits in the chair, finds his spot in the book, and resumes reading out loud. Just as the protagonist starts stringing the clues together, Kyouya feels another pair of eyes on him. Looking up, he sees Haruhi's glittering brown eyes for the first time in what feels like forever, and they just suck the air right out of his chest.

"It's the cadet, isn't it?" She asks, clear as a bell. She's put on her glasses and is looking right at him.

"What?"

"The cadet? I think he is the one who killed Samson."

"You think so?"

"Yes. All of it points to him, even the knife."

"They all have that knife. Even Samson has that knife: they are a team."

"Fine then. Who do _you_ think killed him?"

"Cadet is innocent, but he is being framed by the Captain."

"No way! Samson was like a brother to the Captain!"

"Doesn't matter. And I bet the Captain has done this before. In fact, it may be the way he became a

"It can't be." She squints her eyes at me. "I can't believe that you think that about him. Other than Philip, Captain is the best character in the story!"

"Isn't it supposed to be the least obvious choice? It was written to make you like Captain, and by doing that, it is a bigger shock when he is revealed to be the killer. The bigger the shock factor, the more it sells, and the more it sells, the more profit the author makes. In making Captain the killer, the author has much to gain: more so than if it was the cadet."

Her spirit rises as she props herself up on her elbow. "Money and profits aren't everything in the world Kyouya-sempai. Can't you just believe it is the cadet and be shocked like everyone else later?"

"It's a mystery Haruhi. It is in its own nature to make you think one way and blindside you when you least expect it. I bet they go as far as arresting the cadet and in the last twenty pages it clicks together that it was the Captain after all. They follow the same pattern."

"You never know, there could be one that is different out there and you just so happened to pick it up."

"The chances of that are slim," he brushes it off.

"You can still act like it though." She lays back and folds her arms. "You won't gain anything by destroying the thoughts of another."

"I wouldn't lose anything either, so why should I care?"

"Oh, I don't know, common decency?" She throws her hands up in the air before pinning me with a glare. "If you have read the book before, why not have just said 'oh, I don't know. Let's read on and find out!' before dashing all the hopes of a person finally thinking they guessed right for once out of five novels."

"I'm hardly the one to care about what happens to others, aren't I?"

"Now that's a lie." She waves her hand in the air. "You care as much as the next person, but just don't show it. I can hardly fathom why though. Being openly kind is good."

"Also, who was the one who said I read this before? I have never read," he reads the cover, "'The Murder of Samson Brown' before in my life. And with as forthright the title is, you may be right on how the cadet killed Samson and the last part is an epilogue about how they all move on."

"Well which is it you believe? Who killed the guy?"

"Captain."

"What about your title theory?"

"What about it? Even mysteries with the worst titles out there still follow a basic pattern."

"You're incorrigible."

"And you are just as beautifully argumentative as you've always been."

"Is that meant to be a compliment? Because if it is, then you have certainly lost your charm."

"Why do people think I have changed?" He sits back in the chair and counts them off on his fingers to give her a visual aid of sorts. "First my father, then the guys, then your father, and now you? I'm nothing he one who has changed here, the guys did. Okay, maybe not Mori, and to a degree the King, but I had no reason to."

"Wait, 'King'?"

"Of sorts. Not like he could rule or anything, but he fancies himself as a prince." Kyouya removes his glasses to rub the spot between his eyes on the bridge of his nose. "Maybe not anymore after the dissolution though," he mutters.

"'Dissolution'?"

"While this has been fun and all," Ranka says, startling them both as he rests a hand on Kyouya's shoulder, "I need to borrow this guy a moment my darling." Before either of them speaks, Ranka drags him out and shuts the door. "What was that Kyouya?"

"What was what?"

"You two were able to talk so smoothly right off the bat." _Is he accusing me of something?_ Kyouya wonders in shock of what is happening.

"What do you mean? I was just answering her question."

"'Answering her question'? You were arguing with her like you did before anything ever happened!" _Isn't that a good thing?_ Kyouya doesn't ask though he is confused by Ranka's behaviour. "She even called you 'Kyouya-sempai'."

"What? No she didn-" he stops and thinks. "Do you think she remembers me then? She didn't even know Tamaki."

"I don't know what's going on here."

"So why did you pull me out of there?" Ranka pauses, then shuts his mouth. "Let me guess: you don't have a solid reason." His lips tighten as though holding back his answer. "You were just so excited that you just had to pull me away, like a certain blond we both know would." Ranka's face gets red, but can't say anything else because in reality it was the truth. "If you'll excuse me, sir," Kyouya moves past Ranka and back to Haruhi, leaving her father in the hall, eroding into nothing. "Back again," he calls to Haruhi on the bed. "Now what were we onto again?"

"Dissolution. And a king of sorts."

"Oh, about that..." Kyouya looks off to the side.

"Please tell me about it. It sounds familiar somehow."

Kyouya sits down again. "I don't know how it would ring any bells though, it happened after you left." Then his mind pulls up Haruhi's first year. "Unless you are thinking of everything that happened with Éclair and our king when he threatened to dissolve the group. You fell off a bridge then if I am correct, so that could be why you might remember it now."

"I fell off a bridge? Is that why I'm in here?"

"Oh heavens no. This," he waves his fingers to account for this hospital visit, "wasn't done until just over a year after the bridge thing. Now that I think of it, you were pretty good with falling that first year." Kyouya looks at the ceiling to recall the major events. He is so focused that he doesn't notice Haruhi's eyes look far away at something as he counts things off in his mental checklist. "Knocking over the vase at the school, being thrown off that cliff by street ruffians in Okinawa, jumping off that platform at the girls academy to avoid being kissed, being thrown from a horse carriage off that bridge in an effort to keep the club together, being hung in a net during the Halloween scare with one of the twins...technically the king was the one who tripped and pushed you, but you got your first kiss at that one dance party."

"Vase... twins... a king... endless party..." Haruhi starts listing them without as much as a fleck of emotion in her voice. "Okinawa... rich bastards... Éclair... mother's school... cake alien... tricksters... marble Mori... Kariuzawa..." Kyouya's eyes get wide as she speaks, her words out of order, but no less right. He inwardly chuckles at the description kept on the stoic statuesque ex-host. "Mistaken identity... ugly yellow dresses... crazy girls..." She touches her glasses. "Contacts... the beach... a debt..." Her voice trails off and she's silent for a while before her eyes actually see him and she squints. "Kyouya-sempai?"

"What do you remember now, Haruhi?"

"I was headed to your house with a cake and was picking up my house keys...why am I here? This doesn't look like your house."

"That's because it isn't my house. My hospital, yes, but not my house."

"Hospital?" She cutely pouts in her confusion, making Kyouya have the urge of just giving her a hug.

"Yes. You never made it to my house, or even called that day."

"I was going to call when I was situated on the train, but..." Her brows move together in intense concentration before looking up at him with a serious look in her eyes as she takes in every detail. Kyouya tries his hardest not to squirm under her all-seeing eyes that have looked too deeply for his taste before. "How long was I out?"

"It's been a couple months or so past the fourth anniversary."

She nods like she was only confirming her suspicions, not really wondering in earnest. "I remember you talking at some point, not just reading the stories."

"You actually heard all of that?"

"Not all of it. I paid attention when I could, but it was more like listening to the only voices you ever could know underwater. Entertaining, but vaguely so. I can't remember them now, but something always was wrong...I understood this book though," she nods to the book he had put on the table.

"Could you tell it was me?"

"Looking back, yes. It was one consistent voice close enough to do something. Didn't sound like my dad's."

"That's a relief."

Kyouya is silent as he can see the gears start shifting behind her eyes. "So...you own this hospital?"

"Yes. Just me, not my family; although I do have my family's name."

"Have you been here all four years with me? What about the rest of the club? Tamaki was here..."

Suddenly Kyouya didn't feel like answering her question. "No. I learned about the incident just over a year ago, the other members six months after. Your father didn't know who to tell and blamed us a while. Your name wasn't mentioned in the news, so none of us knew. We thought you were so through with us that you stopped going to Ouran, so we didn't seek you out. Eventually the Host Club dissolved and we only contacted each other when Tamaki put us through reunions."

"Where are they now? I feel bad for not recognising Tamaki earlier."

"You realise that he may be stung with that for a while now. Ranka said over the phone that he looked pretty depressed."

"If he's the same, then he should bounce back in no time," she waves it off.

"Well Haruhi, things haven't been exactly the same since you were gone..." Kyouya then continues on to put forth every difference between the past hosts and now ex-hosts he can think of.

"It would be easier to see them not so sneaky, but it seems like it would be unnatural for the twins to be so mellow. And Honey against sweets? Acting his age? That's almost illegal."

"Yes, it does seem sad in a way."

Haruhi is silent for a bit, thinking something over before her eyes light up with something. "When can you get them here? I have an idea."


	9. Chapter 9

I sit there on the bed as the ex-hosts file into the room after my father, Tamaki the darkest of them all. They probably have heard it from him. _As glad as they seem to have me awake, the thought of me not remembering must be weighing on them._ I look to Kyouya. "Okay Haruhi," he says, sounding only a tad forced. "These are members of the club you were a part of in high school." He walks up to them, gesturing as he says their names out loud. "Tamaki Suoh, Takashi Morinozuka, Mitsukuni Haninozuka, Hikaru Hitachiin, and his twin brother Kaoru. As I said earlier, I am Kyouya Ootori. We were, are, your friends."

I scrutinize them under my eye, noticing that a few have grown. _I've probably grown too._ "Are you sure? I don't think you're right."

"Of course I'm certain. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just don't see how I could be friends with these people."

"What do you mean?"

"You said I befriended you all in some Host Club? That's ridiculous! Why would any school allow that?"

"It was a well planned club exploring the differences in character and likeness, as well proved to be a good opportunity for me in the practice of managing a business." _I got to hand it to him: he can improvise._

"Setting all that horse crap aside," Kyouya's eyes widen slightly, apparently miffed, "I would never visit a host club."

"You didn't visit: you worked right along with us."

"No way. I'm a girl. Last I knew, you had to be a guy."

"You faked it for the guests."

"That doesn't sound like me."

"Your attire and stature made it believable."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"A few of us didn't realize it whenever we forced you to join as a means of paying off an 8 million yen debt, but we did figure it out sooner or later."

"8 million?! That sounds harsh."

"You broke a vase that was for auction."

"Okay, say that you are right and I attended the school on scholarship and was forced to join this club out of a debt..."

"Of course I'm right." Miffed again. _He must not like people doubting him_. I file the information away for further use.

I continue as though he had sent spoken. "That doesn't explain how you think I became friends with a whole group of pretentious rich boys calling themselves a host club. Af if you guys are gentlemen, why would you let a girl continue that job after finding out anyway?"

It takes him a moment to make a guess. "We grew on you."

"Speculation."

"Natural instinct."

"For what? Coping with an unimaginable situation?" I don't give him the chance to respond anymore and he lets it go. "Even so, what does that have to do with now? Tamaki-sempai is now a fake, the twins are tamer than most, Honey's sweet tooth is cured, Usa-chan is nowhere to be found, and Mori...he clearly looks shocked, not stoic. These people can't possibly be my club members!"

I try my best to look like I'm in a state of disbelief at the whole thing as I watch it dawn on them what I've said. Meanwhile, Kyouya is fighting a losing battle with laughter off to the side with a very confused Ranka. As he explains to Ranka what happened, Honey is the first to catch on, yelling "Haru-chan!" and giving me a light hug. Most of the others following suit before arranging themselves on the bed. The twins sit at either side of my knees, Honey at the end of my feet sitting cross-legged, and Mori and Tamaki on either side of him.

"Since when did you...?" Tamaki asks while still dazed. "We're you really...?"

"When did I remember? Where you kidding with me then?" I try to finish them for him. "Unfortunately, I really didn't know who you were earlier, but what did you expect? I just woke up four years after being pushed into a train." Anticipating another one, I move to answer beforehand. "Talking to Kyouya brought the memories back because he is just his usual self. He's an arrogant man who pushes himself and those around him without limitations, not tiptoeing over anything sensitive as he just plows on through, carefully explaining what happened in his own way."

"I suppose you think that will do as a compliment," _oops, I didn't he was done with dad,_ "but it was a rather backhanded one." He says, sitting in his chair.

"I thought it very fitting. After all, you did ruin the book for me." I sit up, pulling one knee up and crossing the other leg, putting my arms around my leg.

"I didn't ruin anything on my own. You asked a simple question, and I responded in kind. And, as I have stated before, I have never even read it: it's merely a pattern presented throughout many like-minded books."

"Doesn't that just ruin the whole genre then, Kyouya?"

"Enough of this Haruhi. I was just setting forth my interpretation of the facts. As sure as the dog dies, the least expected one commits the crime."

"Argh, there you go again!"

"What?"

"Just stop it."

He looks to the guys at the end of the bed who have silently been watching the squabble. "What did I say this time?"

"I believe it was the whole 'as sure as the dog dies' thing." The twins helpfully answer the man.

"Well it does, especially in American classics like Where The Red Fern Grows, except in that one it is two."

"Oh god man, shut up!" Tamaki hisses. "First you insult a past time she obviously likes, and now you are giving away the ending to books that she might have read someday?"

"Didn't everyone read that one for English though?" Honey speaks up in Kyouya's defense.

"We might have, but who thinks that the commoners did before high school?"

"You aren't giving public schools enough credit Tamaki. They probably had it in their curriculum as we did." Kyouya says, for once on the smaller people's side. "Instead of buying the book individually like we did, they most likely taught it one class at a time, borrowing thirty copies or so out from the library to those students in the class."

I watch on as they talk about how 'commoner' schools function. And then debate on other 'commoner' things. _Tamaki seems to have gained his spirit back, but Kyouya never sheathed his, so it might be extra strong._ Honey eventually gets up instead of getting in between everything and I scoot over so he can sit next to me. "I'm glad you're back Haru-chan."

"Glad to be back." I yawn and lean onto him, noticing that he is a bit bigger than I once remembered. "Glad you guys are fine too." I start dosing off while listening to them talk back and forth.

"Go ahead and get some rest." Honey says to me after catching me nearly sleeping and waking myself up. "Tomorrow is going to be a new day."


	10. Chapter 10

I get released from the hospital a week later with my father. I do not know what to start doing whenever I get home. Dad makes sure I do daily exercises to get my strength up tp where it was and tone my muscles. After a while, I can fend off the twins and Tamaki myself.

To my dismay, my clothes didn't fit right when I got home and dad was all too willing to go shopping with me. He was tired of the shapeless paper gowns typical of hospitals. The clothes we got were typical to before: I kept to my comfort zone, even more so than before, while dad's choices were more befitting of a woman. Needless to say, I stuck with those I chose. Both the twins and my father were none too thrilled about it, the twins trying to take measurements for all sorts of things and my father just sitting in a corner.

Tamaki got mad with his father when I went to talk to the school about my attendance because the chairman was already updated on the situation from the time dad contacted him at the start of the school year after that summer. The chairman knew this whole time and didn't tell his son, which upsets him greatly now. I however was fine since it didn't affect me. The chairman said I could do the classes online and provided the laptop and services to complete high school at home instead of in classes with people way younger than myself. Banning the boys from the house for nine hours a day, six days a week, I pushed myself to finish the last two years of school in one year, and continue online for college, taking all the tests necessary. It isn't long before I can relax, ahead of schedule for people my age with the rigorous studying I go through.

The hosts eventually switched back to how they were before I left naturally, and they hang out more than what Kyouya had said they did. I didn't notice much of a difference, but Kyouya brought it up a few times when it struck him. The group was acting more peacefully as well, though I did realize eventually that I wasn't called Tamaki's daughter or the twins' toy anymore. The whole family setting thankfully crumbled, and we all are still great friends.

Over the length of time, those I thought had, or was told that, liked me grew out of their feelings and they didn't turn back, but a year after I woke up again, after things seemed to be settled and finalized, I realized that I still kind of liked Kyouya from before, making it harder to ignore because he had never changed. And just as before, I don't know why. _He's so serious and just_ has _to be right. Things don't_ not _go his way because he is behind everything. And despite having been raised in a world completely different from mine, I can't entirely call him illogical._ We talk daily now, and I see him more than I see the other club members as they all work in their own little niches and go out of town, or out of country, for various business trips. On the days we don't meet up for coffee at a cafe near the hospital I stayed at, we talk on the phone. We go out every Monday and Thursday nights as they seem to be the easiest for both of us. Kyouya and I become regulars at a couple restaurants, establishing a usual at every place. We talk about work, the economy, the news, our friends, and other things going on. After a year, I realize I look forward to these times, sitting across from him or talking over the phone. These times have completed my day, or even fixed it if it had gone bad up until then.

I kept quiet though, enjoying the time as it went, thinking that I wouldn't want to ruin it. But after Tamaki and Honey found girls they loved and married both close together just over a month or so ago, I wondered about him and what he did on the nights we didn't meet. "What's on your mind, Haruhi? You seem to be thinking hard." He asks, picking up his water to drink as we wait for the food. His break in my thoughts lets the question come out.

"Do you ever go out on dates, Kyouya?" He stops drinking abruptly, leaning forward sharply before pausing, setting down his drink and clearing his throat. _That was as close as a spit-take he will probably ever get_ , I realize.

"What makes you ask that, Haruhi?"

"Well, Tamaki and Honey had their weddings not too long ago, the twins found twins they are dating, and Mori is interested in that one girl he brought to Honey's wedding last month. We went to each of the events together out of convenience and it also worked because we didn't have anyone to bring. It isn't really my business, but you could pretty much date any girl you run into, so I was wondering when that was." Kyouya sits with his fingers interlocked and resting I front of his mouth, leaning slightly forward with his elbows on the table.

"Tell me, what would you do if I told you I already had a girlfriend I have been seeing a while?"

I feel winded in a second taking it in. _He has a girl? And I didn't know?_ "I would ask if I could meet her?"

"And if I said you had?"

 _What? When was this?_ I go through a mental stack of notecards of the people I have been introduced to by him. _Maybe it's the American girl named Valerie from a couple months ago at that mutual benefit between the hospital and the firm._ "I would...congratulate you and wish you happiness in your relationship." _It must be her._

He sits back in the booth and sort of smirks, like he knows my thoughts. "That sure is an interesting thought." He crosses his arms infringement of him as the food arrives at the tail end of his words. We eat in silence for a few minutes as the waitress comes by again. "I can see you're thinking hard again." He half chuckles in his usual way. "Can you really not recall?"

"I can too." _Not a thing_.

"Your mind is still searching. Do you need some help?"

"No." I think it is Valerie. _It has to be_. There isn't any other girl he has introduced to me that would fit him.

"Out with it then, who do you think it is?"

The laughter clearly shown in his eyes is throwing me off. "I don't want to be wrong."

He lowers his head to eat the pasta on his fork before it falls, but looks over his eyeglasses. "You probably are with as hard you are thinking. Just give it your best shot."

"Valerie."

"Valerie?" His eyebrows come together slightly, surprised. "Smith?"

"I thought it was Blacmon."

"It was, but she got married."

"What?"

"When you met her, she had been engaged for eight months already and her wedding was a couple weeks after. I thought I had told you that."

"No, you didn't. And that was my only guess."

"Figured as much." He sits forward and looks me straight in the eye. "She's you."


	11. Chapter 11

"Huh?" My brain freezes like it hit a wall and my fork clatters to the plate. "Who's me?"

"My girlfriend."

"...What?" I stare into his face, looking for the punchline. "I don't understand."

"You. Are. My. Girlfriend." He says it slowly like I can't understand. "Have been for just over a year now." I must be staring off into nowhere in confusion by now.

"What?"

"Yeah, I figured you didn't remember." He breathes deeply, but not with an air of a sigh. "Late one night on the phone, about sixteen months ago, you asked me out and I accepted. Calling the next day, I asked where you wanted to go for dinner, and you said this place," he recalls, gesturing to the surroundings. "While we were here, you said this was one of your favourite places. Then I somehow promised I would take you to the place we go on Thursdays that Thursday because it is one of mine. I don't know how we evolved into going to both each week this far, but it was a while after that first date that I realized you didn't remember our late conversation."

"That seems far-fetched."

"It isn't though."

"Are you sure that I asked you out as in dating?"

"After meeting Arai in Kariuzawa, I wanted to make sure we were on the same page. Yes, it was a date as in dating."

"And it has been over a year."

"First anniversary was about four months ago."

"And you didn't say anything about it at all?"

"No."

"And why the hell not?"

"One part hilarity and embarrassment, two parts curiosity. Just being with you felt like a natural thing."

"We're you ever going to say anything?"

"I don't know."

We sit in silence for the rest of the meal as I chew it all over. We leave the restaurant and go to the park for our normal stroll after dinner in the nearby park. I finally speak up when we reach the middle of a little bridge. "So you are telling me that I have actually been dating the guy I have had a crush on since before the accident for a whole year and _didn't know it_?"

"A year and four months at that," he laughs.

"So what has been the best thing about having this problem of your girlfriend not realizing you two are dating?" I ask objectively.

"I'd have to say...her still liking me, not showing interest in other guys, even when she thinks she's free too."

"And the worst?"

"Not knowing how to stop the ignorance. I could literally break up with her and she wouldn't even know. How do you approach someone who never remembered asking you to start dating?"

"Never thought about it that way. I thought you would say any kind of intimacy or something like that."

"That was a manageable issue in a way I guess. On movie nights, you slept on my shoulder, so naturally I put my arm around you. We communicate daily. I've kissed your head a few times, but you didn't notice, like during thunderstorms."

"And that satisfies you?"

"I never said it did." I walk closer to him, actually considering my actions as I step up onto my tiptoes to try giving him a kiss, but his head turns sharply when I get close enough and I get his cheek. _What_? "Don't look like that, please. It isn't that I don't, but you have had only two kisses in your whole life so far, and I don't want to, ah, what's the word? Overwhelm you?"

"Overwhelm? I think I can handle a kiss. And it was only once, at that dance party."

"Although you were unconscious in the hospital, the twins kissed you at one time. Maybe that counts of three different people." _They did_ what _?_ "And I don't think you can; I've been wanting to for longer than a year for this." His hand reaches up and tucks some hair behind my ear, barely lingering before he drops his hand.

"I have been wanting to be yours for years now:" I step closer to him as if to prove something, "don't you think I've dreamt about us kissing at some point?"

"That isn't the same, Haruhi." He then turns and keeps us walking, hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket.

"Like hell it isn't the same," I mumble under my breath while walking behind him.

"Don't worry. Eventually." He says, but it still seems weird. _What kind of boyfriend wouldn't want to kiss his girlfriend for over a year? If I had known we were dating... What other things do dating couples do?_ I walk closer to him and tug on his arm. Bewildered, he removes his hand from his pocket and I lace my fingers into his.

"Then this is okay, right?" I look up into his eyes and smile.

He pauses a moment and I inwardly panic like he's going to say no, but then there is a small smile. "It's fine, but your hand is a little cool." He then takes my hand with his and keeps it in his pocket. Walking on, I stand close enough to him to feel his warmth. _He saw my gamble and rose it. No, wait. This isn't a game of poker._

"So fill me in. What has happened in this relationship in the past year or so?"

"Let's see...We have had our bi-weekly dinner dates roughly a hundred and forty times, met in that coffee shop about four hundred and fifty times, seen around thirty movies in either a theatre or having movie nights, been to two weddings for our friends, and talked on the phone for a countless number of minutes, so far not breaking the streak of contact daily." I'm only part way amazed he would keep the numbers in his head. "Since I was curious about what you would do or say, I didn't tell the others so they wouldn't spoil it, so I guess it has been entirely me this whole time. I've gotten to know you well without barriers for this whole time, so I know you and your reactions fairly well. I can tell how you are feeling by the tone of voice, whether it be tired, uncomfortable, suppressed anger or fear, and even occasionally anxious, like when you know it's going to rain during the day, but you don't know if it'll thunderstorm." I remain silent as we walk, focused on his words. The ever-observant Kyouya has been at work and was focused on _me_. Honored as I may feel, though, I feel only slightly ashamed that I didn't pay attention to him in kind. "It was about seven months ago that you fell asleep at my place in the middle of some movie that I realized that I loved you, and I have fallen for you many times since then."

Birds. Birds are flapping around in my stomach. "Hmmm...Maybe you should have brought me into the relationship sooner then."

"Everyone gets a case of bad judgement once in a while. I just happened to get it and keep it for this long."

"So Ootori-san has made a mistake? Someone should take a picture."

"One would think that after declaring their love for a person while in a relationship with them would be a clue to drop any and all honorifics and strictly adhere to a first name basis."

"I didn't think any of it mattered since you have dropped it all for a while now."

"If only you had taken it as the clue I meant. Alas, it apparently didn't catch. Do you want to start all over?"

"No, I don't think that would be advisable. But should we continue," and why the hell _wouldn't_ we, "I want you to promise me something, unconditionally and without prior knowledge. Possibly a couple things."

"No can do."

I stop dead in my tracks, and turn so we are facing one another. "What?"

"You told me once never no make a contract with hidden requests, conditions, or favors. What kind of person would I be if I didn't listen to my girlfriend's thoughtful advice?" Looking at my face, he laughs. "Never mind, I'll agree to any promise to keep this going."

"Okay. Now that I'm in the loop too, let's keep it a secret from everyone else. It seems like it would be fun, and the outside interference of friends and family would be minimal to none. And when we are engaged, let's just send out the announcements that tell the information about the wedding, not saying anything until then."

"'When'?" His eyebrows go up.

"Don't think I plan to let you go. And we _have_ been dating for over a year as well."

"It isn't like you have been aware of it this whole time-"

"But I'll just pick up from here. Anyway, will you consent to that?"

"Is that all?"

"Not yet. I just want to cover the bases as I load them."

"I don't see anything wrong with what you have so far, especially when you are right about the interference. I'll add though that we won't deny the existence of our relationship: just don't mention it."

"Okay, I got that. That will be the only condition though: no more flexibility."

"How many more is there?"

"Just one, and nothing too huge." _It's only a gamble_. "And you can't speak until after it is completed." _That should quell any arguments_.

"Can't accept it if I can't speak."

"Condition will start after I say it."

"Alright, I'm all ears."

"Okay. Kiss me." His mouth opens to argue like I thought he might, but a finger to my lips reminds him of his promise. He lets go of my hand and crosses his arms in front of him, lips tight and eyes slightly narrowed. He gets his phone out and types something in, but I refuse to read it. "No kind of talking whatsoever. To anyone: work, family, or me." We get into a staring contest for a long while. _I've bested him for once?_ It's a nice thought, but the longer we stare at one another, I can't help feeling slightly disappointed. I never told him that he even _had_ to kiss me on the mouth, but I never said he didn't.

Feeling a twinge of embarrassment, I blink and turn away, walking back down the path. _Well that was stupid. Baka_. I walk a ways, heading back to the more populated area, then feel a hand to spin me around. "Kyouya-" _Wait, that's not..._


	12. Chapter 12

Shit _. Promise be damned, I have to call_ someone. After stealing a bike from some person, Kyouya is pedaling after a car. Somehow even having his phone on him, he can't make a call. _Should have just kissed her. I wasn't exactly unhappy about the prospect, mainly shocked. Now I'm tailing the car she was laid into after I barely saw her fall to her captor._ An unremarkable car, black or dark blue. No plates. No erratic behavior. Model driver really. _Can't give the police force orders in his condition,_ Kyouya keeps up his pace following the car as they turn into a private hotel parking garage, forcing him to park in the front. He walks into the lobby to wait and see them walk in, but they never do.

Just before he thinks that they duped him, turning in and out of the garage, he gets a call on his private line. Answering the call, he stays silent. "I see you aren't one for talking, so I'll cut to the chase: I have your girl. Don't call the police. We are at The Place Hotel." _Idiots. You don't even know the name of the hotel? It's_ Palace _, not Place_. "Bring a million, and your word that when it is all said and done, you will not search for me. Oh, and Ootori? Don't think I won't hurt this girl. Train wreck while conscious? Coma over four years. Unconscious falling from a building? The only vehicle you'll need is a hearse." The person hangs up after that and Kyouya just looks at his phone. _Just don't call them? Fine._ He fiddles with his watch, getting to the right setting to signal the family police. Technically he can't _call_ , but with this, they'll call him.

His phone rings maybe ten seconds later with the head of Command. "What is your situation?" The voice is made of sharp steel, but Kyouya doesn't say anything. "Can you speak with us?" _Not without going back on a promise._ Microphone tap. "It it you who is in trouble?" He taps the microphone again. "Is it lady Haruhi?" He pushes a button and hear its tone. "We'll be there shortly, Master Kyouya." They hang up, tracing the cell. It isn't long before Kyouya is surrounded by twenty armed men in black in the hotel lobby. Banking on the assumption that the elevator is being watched, Kyouya leads them to the stairwell for the roof.

The Black Onion Squad leads, bursting through the rooftop door and spreading out while Kyouya walks forward, watching the man in front of him. He stands with a gun pointed at Haruhi, her hands and feet bound with silver duct tape, a thick piece over her mouth. "There were no out-going calls on your cell, so how did you call them?" _Now what? I can't answer._ "And where's the money?" The man's voice raises as his agitation does, the tension raising immensely around everyone. The gun flails around the air in his hands as Haruhi shifts her weight, standing on the edge of the building.

Kyouya looks to the leader of the twenty that makes up his group of personalized officers and gestures to the mad man. "Uh, okay," he steps forward, not used to the boss being silent this was. "From what I get here, you, sir, kidnaped this lady and demanded money in the generic amount of a million or so, but Master Kyouya did not call us. In fact, my boss says he didn't say a word on he phone, so we don't know about your money. We just do as we are told until the job is done, but if you are technical, since he didn't say anything, this isn't a job. There is no reason to be pis-" Kyouya clears his throat, thinking maybe another speaker would have been good. "Let the little girl go," he sums up simply for once. The other men have their sights set on the gunman, waiting for the order. The man takes a step towards Haruhi and it sets Kyouya on a sharper edge, near bristling as the man touches her to bring her off the building edge with the gun at her temple. He stands behind her, pulling out another weapon to hold at her throat. It's curved and covers all around her neck with a blade, holding it close. _Is that a sickle? You've got to be joking. Is he trying to make a statement?_

"Enough with the technical bull! I said no police, a million dollars, and for you to never go after me again. You gone and broke the first and the second, so I can't see why you would uphold the third." Kyouya takes a few steps forward, hands up peacefully, but the man backs up rapidly, hitting the back of his legs on the barrier. The lip is shy of two feet off the ground and hits the back of his knees, causing a reflex action of buckling. The sudden movement and the flailing of the unbalanced man makes the blade hit Haruhi's neck with such a force that Kyouya can see some blood from where he stands. Though it isn't gushing, it is enough for Kyouya to react in alarm.

Speeding to Haruhi, Kyouya raises his hand into the air and the hands holding the blade and gun are shot simultaneously as the Squad rushes forward to grab the man before he jumps from the edge. Kyouya grabs her first, laying her on the ground to get away from the edge and pulling the tape off her mouth.

"Kyouya, I-" He kisses her before she can say much more with the emotions in him from the moment he tried to keep under wraps since before the phone call. Anger, panic, alarm, and now the crushing weight of relief that she is back with him covers his mind and takes over.

The medics clear their throats uncomfortably with smiles, one speaking up with, "Master Kyouya, as much as it is good to have her safe, we need to look at her neck as we have checked the rest of her over. So, if you would, please."

"Yeah, don't go raising her heart rate while she has a gash in her neck now!" Someone half snickers until Kyouya just looks at them, making them quiet down and stand sort of at attention. Kyouya doesn't say a word as he gets up to find the section leader, leaving Haruhi with the medics.

"Don't know who it is yet," he says as Kyouya approaches, standing up straighter, "but he's going to be booked with kidnapping at the least. I should give you a talking to about approaching during these situations, Master Kyouya. If our aim was off by a few degrees, then-"

"But they weren't," Kyouya finalizes at once, not leaving time for an argumentative lecture. "On another note, when I heard him on the phone earlier, he mentioned the train incident Haruhi was in during high school, so he might be connected with that, but the man for that should still be in jail. If this is not the same guy, then it is an accomplice. I want one to two guards with her around the clock, and I will need a new phone and number. I don't know how, but he got to my private line and, as you heard, he could tell my calls. Figure out what went wrong and how this happened. Fix it."

"Right away, Master Kyouya. I will finish calling this in and get right on that. Guards will be chosen for the girl before we even move from the building, and someone will be on to getting you another phone. I'll look into the perpetrator personally and will sent you my full report in the matter."

"Good. Other than that, good work, where it counts at least, like always."

"Pardon, sir?"

"The fact that she was taken in the first place? What happened?"

"Oh, that." The older leader is suddenly uncomfortable in front of the younger man. "There was a mishap with the shift change and timings, causing a hole in the guard as we lost sight of you two in the park."

"Whatever caused it, fix it so it doesn't happen again. I suggest overlapping the changes by a half hour or more if you can't get it together. Is it true to call you the Class-A Elite of Japan now or will a shift change be your downfall? Keep your heads together and never let it happen again." While Kyouya was speaking, his famous Shadow King aura leaked through his words, damaging the pride of the section leader and possibly the entire Squad, all while staying level and of normal volume.

"I personally apologize on behalf of my section." The leader bows deeply. "I will see to it that this never happens again." Kyouya says nothing more and just walks back to Haruhi, who is sitting up and trying to convince that the hospital wouldn't be necessary since they have already wrapped up her neck.

"Miss, we are emergency field workers only. We are going to take you to the hospital to have a regular doctor look you over to make sure there isn't any lasting damage."

"The tool was a bit rusty, even if it was sharp," someone else chimes in to help. "They might think about giving you a tetanus shot as well."

"It is unlikely and I do not wish to go. You people have done an excellent job of wrapping me up, and so it should be fine just the way it is. Besides, I know Kyouya's family keeps around the best, so this little cut shouldn't be that big of an issue for you few here."

"If you don't want it, we can also not put you on the stretcher."

"It is getting later. I'm sure you all need to get home and I am starting to feel kind of tired." She turns from them to Kyouya. "Kyouya, can you take me home?"

"Let them do their job and feel important for a change since I rarely get injured enough for them." She looks miffed that he wasn't on her side over this.

"It's a waste of time, I'm telling you."

"Humor them a bit, will you?" They help her off the ground and keep hands on her when she insists on walking herself. As expected, the doctors didn't have much to say other than for her to rest, at most take the next day out since somehow the gash wasn't enough for stitches.

After being satisfied, the medics disperse and the car is brought up for them. Instead of going to her house, he takes her to his, not answering why. Pulling her along into the house, he gets her his shirt so he can try get the blood from hers. After setting it to soak a bit before washing in the machine, he heads to the kitchen where she already has jasmine tea made, the sleeves of the shirt cuffed to her elbows. The two silently sip their tea until the washer sounds. Throwing it into the dryer, he then grabs her hand, tugging it along to his bedroom. "What are you doing?" She asks quietly, not yet a whisper.

"Providing myself reassurance," he stage-whispers, making fun of her quietness. "Just go with it, Haruhi," he says in his normal voice, drawing her nearer. She hesitates at the bedside, but follows him when he tugs her hand, pulling her under the covers. He puts his arms around her, drawing her to his side as he lays against the headboard. Laying his face against the top of her head, he smells her usual strawberry and vanilla. "I'm so glad you're safe," he murmurs.

"So am I." Haruhi finally relaxes when he runs his fingers through her hair. Kyouya's steady heartbeat plays in her ear, strong and reassuring her that it was over now. Feeling the adrenaline crash coming, she says "I love you, Kyouya Ootori. Thank you for coming after me."

"I would go to the ends of the Earth to keep you by my side." He tilts her head upward to look into her dark brown eyes. "I don't think that I have ever felt like this for any other person than I do for you. You make it seem like those fairytales are true. I love you too, Haruhi Fujioka." He leans forward and kisses her soft lips lightly. She kisses him back, surprisingly strong with the tiredness in them both. Kyouya holds himself back and eventually ends the kiss himself. "While this is certainly nice, my other motive for having you here tonight is to make sure you get rested. And so that I can keep you from work tomorrow."

Haruhi groans then. "That would be unreasonable, and you would miss work too."

"Humor me then." He tightens his arms around her and she repositions herself.

"What do you think they will say about my neck? What should I say?"

"I don't know if you even have to say anything about it. Don't tell them something that is unnecessary I guess, or even anything you are uncomfortable with, but don't worry: you won't have to worry for tomorrow."

"But Kyouya-"

"Sleep now. We'll move on tomorrow, maybe go walk around some mall for a change: relax or something." She sighs, but doesn't say anything else about it. The two end up falling asleep peacefully.


	13. Chapter 13

Eight months later, Haruhi is tired of waiting and is the one to propose to Kyouya at dinner one Thursday night at his favourite restaurant. However, both were confused when Kyouya also had an engagement ring for her in his pocket. They both laughed it off, both going down on one knee on their second anniversary, earning laughs from all around, and cheers from others when they both finish asking and answering at the same time. They put the rings on each other, Kyouya kissing her as she gets red, embarrassed by the spectators.

After a couple of months, the place and date are picked and the Save-the-Dates are mailed out. It isn't long before she hears from her father, and the Host Club erupts. Everyone ambushed the two at their homes, so since the majority were at Kyouya's, Haruhi brings her dad there to go over it all. It takes a long while for them to convince all of them it wasn't a joke and that they have been technically dating for over two years. "How didn't we notice then?"

"I didn't even notice the first year, so you should cut yourselves slack. The good thing is that we are together, and we will be together for the rest of our lives," she says, grabbing Kyouya's hand.

"So who asked who out?" The twins ask.

"Uh, Haruhi asked me out, then we dated for a year and four months before she asked me if I was dating anybody." Even Mori chuckled at that.

"When did you propose Kyouya? Assuming that you did after she asked you out."

"Uh," Haruhi laughs and they all look to her.

"Wow, boss," the twins harmonize, then split between Hikaru and Kaoru. "Could it be the cool type...got knocked by the natural?"

"We, uh, actually both proposed on the same night."

"The crew is silent for a few moments before Tamaki asks, "No joke?"

"Not a joke: we promise," Kyouya assures the King as they all take it in. "You can probably fish around YouTube and find it. I was probably the most shocked one, not being able to believe it as Haruhi pulled out her ring box. Even more so as it was the male option for the ring I had picked out for her." They all look at the matched set of engagement rings in amazement. "Obviously we both accepted, and here we are today."

"So why didn't you guys tell us, even after Haruhi knew? Even just us?" Honey asks from beside Mori, who just nods.

"You guys can't all keep a secret, and do you really think that Tamaki would leave us alone?" They all look to the blond halfer at that point and suddenly make sounds of understanding as Tamaki withers into an ashen state.

Ranka jumps in asking details in plans, and the twins demand to make the dresses for the day. Haruhi lays out the thoughts and guidelines for everything, wanting it as small as Kyouya can manage without starting World War Three with his family.


	14. Chapter 14

Eight months after that, Haruhi is standing with her bridesmaids in the dress the twins made. It's a soft silhouette that reaches the floor, and thankfully not too poofy since they didn't even let her see it until today. emIt's calm considering the twins' preference for all things over the top/em. Ornate roses were embossed at sporadic intervals and sizes: even on the veil that is tacked onto her head by a small tiara-like comb that had the encrusted flower, frozen in crystal. Kaoru had shown it to her before placing the piece, inspired by the engagement ring that somehow reminded him of the flower. Those two were the only ones who knew what the dress looked like before that day as they blindfolded Haruhi for the live fittings, they were a great influence on the decorations. _Though I knew roses were involved, this is...amazing._ The flowers shimmered as they graced her form with their presence, glowing themselves.

Since her closest friends were the Hosts, she had their girlfriends and wives as her bridesmaids so they would be comfortable standing on Kyouya's side of the isle. Each of their dresses suited them individually in the same rosy shade. They move to put her makeup on, but the twins stop them, not wanting anyone closer to their masterpiece. Instead, they turned and put it on themselves, accenting her dark eyes with shimmering eyeshadow, lightly adding only a hint of color to her lips since she would likely just rub it off anyway.

The time comes for the twins to go line up with the others and her dad comes in, nearly crying. "Your mother would have loved to be here."

"Dad, we can't cry now, or the twins will take the dress, then kill me where I stood before going after you."

"You're right, you're right," he says, carefully dabbing the corners of my eyes while she holds them open widely before wiping his own. "You look lovely; Kyouya will love it."

"That's good at least." They smile and she grabs the bundle of pink and red buds meant for her before they are put in place and are cued. The wedding march popular in America plays. _Why would the twins insisted in having an American style wedding anyway?_ The thought vanishes when she walks to the isle and into a dream. The room is soft with flowers in a blend of red, white, and pink. The looks down the aisle and her eyes lock onto Kyouya, dressed surprisingly in white as well while the rest of the groomsmen are in black.

Her father keeps her in pace as she steps over the pink and red petals to him. His hair stands out as a crisp onyx, the only other colour apart from the rosy tie and lapel flower. His black eyes are steadily trained onto her alone as she approaches. Ranka gives away his daughter, the ceremony continues, and the reception follows. "It feels like a dream," she confides in her new husband.

"If this is a dream, Mrs. Ootori, I hope I never wake up." They dance away on the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple. The twins were having them go trough all of the typical American traditions they could think of: cutting the cake, (carefully!) feeding each other, linking arms while drinking, the dance, the clanking glasses, sitting at a wedding party table, and the garter belt (she was going to kill them for the embarrassment later) so far, later the bouquet throwing before they left.

In the limo after they left, she asked Kyouya about it all. "Why American?"

"That's out first stop. We have a month set aside for our honeymoon, so I'm going to go with you and go get your passport stamped for the many first times in that month. After we get back, we'll have already been moved into our new house together." The only thing that she can do hearing this is to smile. _A month to have him completely to_ myself _? That's the best!_ "I told Tamaki I was taking you to a cabin in Washington, but we will really be going to New Orleans in case he planned on tagging along. It's just you and me."

"Thank goodness." Haruhi leans forward and kisses him like she has wanted to for a while, and they start their new life as one Mr. and Mrs. Ootori.


	15. Author's Note and Disclaimer for CC

Thank you for reading, and I hope you liked it!

I write to lift my writer's block for my other works, and I own no characters or storylines from Ouran High School Host Club.


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